Warnings of major floods in Yemen.
Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special
Yemen ((Arabian Sea)) Special: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has issued an early warning about impending climate risks in Yemen, with expectations of a significant increase in rainfall that could threaten several governorates with flash floods in the coming days of August, which coincides with the peak of the rainy season in the country. The FAO stated in its warning bulletin that Yemen may witness a sudden and significant increase in rainfall, with heavy rainfall concentrated in the southern, central, and northern highlands. According to the bulletin, cumulative rainfall amounts are expected to exceed 150 mm in the governorates of Dhamar, Ibb, Sana'a, and Amran, raising real concerns about the occurrence of devastating floods that could threaten lives and infrastructure, although rainfall rates are still below the overall average according to the International Research Institute for Climate (IRI). The FAO identified a number of areas as very high-risk points, most notably the valleys of Sardud, Siham, Zabid, and Tuban, while it classified the "Bana" valley as a medium-risk area, and included the valleys of Mawr, Al-Jawf, and Dhana in the list of low-risk areas. The warnings were not limited to floods only, as the UN organization pointed out that temperatures will remain relatively high, especially in coastal and desert areas, and may exceed the 42 degrees Celsius mark during peak daytime hours, which increases the suffering of the population in those areas. The bulletin also predicted the continuation of sand and dust storms in large parts of the country, especially in desert governorates such as Marib and Hadramout, in addition to areas overlooking the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. This warning comes at a time when Yemen is suffering from fragile infrastructure, amid warnings from humanitarian organizations that any additional natural disaster could lead to a new humanitarian crisis, in a country already struggling to survive amidst war, poverty, and successive environmental disasters.
